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Our Artists

We are proud to represent the following, hugely talented, artists...

Alex Clark

Alex was born on 30th June 1974 in the village of Shotley Bridge in County Durham in the north east of England. She is the eldest of two sisters and lives with her partner in a house close to the river Derwent. It’s a natural haven for all sort of wildlife with weasels, otters and just about every garden bird you can imagine. Never one to chase the limelight, Alex has always preferred her animals to do the talking. She has developed a deep affinity for the rolling countryside of her home that provides a backdrop to much of her work on sale today. Alex never went to art school, instead she studied biology at university in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, supplementing her grant money by painting in the evenings and then selling her work at craft fairs and local art exhibitions at weekends.

Amanda Loverseed

Amanda studied illustration at Cambridge College of Arts and Technology and immediately after leaving college had her first two children’s books accepted. Amanda has worked for many different clients, including Walker Books, Phoenix Trading and Marks and Spencer’s, creating diverse illustrations for pop up books, prints, cards, gift wrap and other products. Amanda works from home, surrounded by the beautiful Sussex Downs, with her husband and two cats. Stories have always been part of Amanda’s way of seeing the world and she loves using pictures to create their own world.

Beryl Cook

Born in the 1920s, Beryl Cook’s painting first caught the public eye through exhibitions in the late 1970s in London and Plymouth. She began painting in her late thirties and was never trained formally, but she had a remarkable talent for picturing the life around her with a unique sense of insight, humour and a mischievous delight in others having a good time.

Camilla Charnock

Camilla Charnock is a freelance artist, illustrator and designer who lives and works in London. She produces illustrations and artwork for greetings cards, magazines, books and packaging and also accepts private commissions for personalised pictures, stationery and murals. She works on real paper using real paint (and a very small brush)!

Caroline Rose

Caroline is an Australian born collage artist living in Nottingham UK with her family. Caroline studied Fine Art and Interior Design, before discovering the joy of paper and launching herself as a collage artist. Inspiration for her artwork comes from all around: children’s stories, lovely words, great songs, sunshine, dreams, conversations, cups of tea books, spring flowers, bare winter trees, boats on the canal … the list is endless. Her works are whimsical, colourful, fun and are for children and adults alike. She loves her art to tell a story and often wonders what the characters are thinking, or who lives in the tiny houses in the tree?

Cathy Squire

Bio to follow…

Clare Tupper

I’m a Designer living and working in the Vale of Belvoir. I produce illustrations and art-work for a contemporary, UK greeting card publisher, Paper Rose Ltd. I have developed many successful greeting card ranges with Paper Rose, all of which have their own unique style. My designs are sold throughout a number of Independent and high street retailers including John Lewis, WH Smith and Sainsbury’s. I am constantly inspired by nature, animals, landscapes, my favourite places and everyday objects and always have my sketch book to hand. I love creating and like to keep moving forward with ideas, experimenting with mixed media and techniques. My work has been recognised within the greeting card industry and I have won and have been nominated for numerous industry awards. My designs have also been successfully transferred onto a range of stationery products. It’s lovely to have this opportunity to see how my work now translates into stitch.Bio to follow…

Deborah Street of Bramble Crafts

Deborah is a full time Mum of six children living in Hampshire. She started ‘Bramble Craft’s after being given her Grandmother’s sewing machine, and started off by making crochet and sewn items. This developed into a love for paper cutting approximately two years ago. Deborah has fond memories of fairy tales being read to her as a little girl, along with tales of fairies at the bottom of the garden! This was the inspiration behind her designs.

Eleanor Friston

Eleanor Friston is a final year Textile Design student at the University of Huddersfield, studying contemporary embroidery. She has a passion for stitching and loves using traditional techniques to create modern designs that make embroidery current and fun. Her other hobbies include photography, reading and keeping up to date with current Craftivist and textile movements. She produces her designs from her own photography and takes inspiration from nature and travel.

Emily Johnson

I live in a little village just outside the beautiful town of Stamford in Lincolnshire. I live with my two children, dog and a crazy Bengal cat! I have a degree in Graphic Design and have been a Freelance Illustrator for 8 years. My favourite things to draw are owls, robots, animals, buildings and monsters! I get inspiration from films, travel, my children, books and music. In my studio I have music playing all the time! My favourite illustrator whilst growing up was Brian Wildsmith. My designs are always fun, happy and full of colour and detail. I’m thrilled my work translates so well into cross stitch. I currently design stationery products including cards and wrapping paper for Phoenix Trading.

Gillian Roberts

Hi I’m Gill and I think I was born with a pencil in my hand. I have drawn, scribbled and doodled ever since I can remember. I was always getting into trouble in school for doodling in my text books. My favourite place in school was the art room. So when I left it was only natural that I should go to Art College. I studied for four years at Cardiff College of Art. When I completed the course, I moved to London and took a job in a prestigious artist’s agency where I was fortunate enough to rub shoulders with some of the best illustrators in Britain. Whilst there I began to get small illustrating jobs but it wasn’t until I got married back in Wales that I began to develop my career as an illustrator, all thanks to the support and encouragement of my husband Mike. I began by designing greeting cards and then I was given the opportunity to illustrate some children’s books. I keep pretty busy with this kind of work now but also, I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to have some of my illustrations made into cross stitch kits

Hannah Dale

Wrendale Designs started life on a kitchen table in Melton Ross, Lincolnshire. From humble beginnings, it has become a globally recognized, multi-award-winning brand of best-selling giftware, well known for the characterful illustrations.

Helen Smith

I live near Colchester with my husband, two sons and a large fluffy cat who likes to keep me company when I’m working on my designs. I have always worked freelance as an illustrator since graduating from Brighton 20 years ago (eek! is it really that long?!) and started out illustrating children’s books and educational products. After a few years break having the children, I started designing greetings cards for Phoenix Trading. It was great to be doing something creative again, especially as I was able to use my own ideas and have more creative freedom. I was delighted when Kate at Bothy Threads was keen to transform my designs into cross stitch – I had never imagined that my work would be usable in this form, so it was very exciting. It always amazes me that they still look like my drawings even in cross-stitch form – Kate is very good at keeping the fun sketchy feel of the originals. People often ask me how I think of all the ideas. I have always been interested in words and the English obsession with puns, so am always mulling over the next idea – but I usually try and think of words relating to popular subjects and then do lots of sketches and drawings to see what works as a design.

Ian Hallows

Ian Hallows has a wonderful talent for creating cute characters that appeal to young children, but get a smile out of just about everybody. He gained his BA with Honours in graphics and then worked in a greetings card studio for 6 years. This was his only job before he started as a freelance artist 22 years ago. Over this time, he has built up a diverse, charming portfolio which has been successful on various products, but especially greeting cards and craft products. He enjoys going on walks and has a strong interest in antiques.

Imogen Hudson

Imogen Hudson is a freelance illustrator and designer living and working in London, UK. Specialising in creating vibrant, decorative designs which have mainly been licensed for greetings, stationery, gift wrap and children’s textiles. Her designs have sold to clients in the UK, Europe and also in the United States and Australia. Imogen is inspired by David Hackney’s vibrant colour and Stig Lindberg’s quirky design. She loves the seaside, the countryside and baking and cooking.

Janet Bell

I was born in Cheshire and as a child I spent many summers playing on the beaches of North Wales and Denmark surrounded by beach huts, white sands, colourful houses, fishing boats and harbours. Since we moved to Beaumaris, Anglesey in November 2007 our dreams have come true. I can now see the sea from my front door and paint from my studio at home. My mother was soon behind us and we now run the gallery and business as a family. I have always loved to create, make and draw so naturally I studied Art at North East Wales Institute of Art & Design, then went on to study Multi Media Textiles graduating in 1997. I am represented by galleries in several towns and cities throughout the UK with paintings in many private, public and corporate collections. l still travel to Scandinavia at least once a year being half Danish but I am hugely inspired by my regular trips to the coast all around the UK. Everything about seaside life inspires me, the delightful houses, harbours, boats, bunting, lighthouses and even the cheeky seagulls. Everyday living in this small seaside town there is something or someone new to be inspired by.

June Armstrong

I have no formal art training, but have always been creative. My style is fairly tight and detailed, using pen and watercolour. I would like to be more experimental in the future, and maybe try some digital techniques. I was delighted when Kate at Bothy Threads came across my work at Phoenix Trading and transformed some of my designs into these beautiful cross stitch Kits, I am always amazed with the end result, she uses such vivid colours. I have a lifelong love of skiing and being in the mountains. I love gardening and visiting amazing gardens. I find great inspiration in my own garden. I like drawing quirky insects, birds and flowers. We live in the Highlands of Scotland where we enjoy the outdoors and the beauty of the Cairngorms National Park. We are keen campers and love the chance to escape and get closer to nature. My husband, Paul, is a mountain bike trail designer. I am delighted that my little sons enjoy drawing and I give them lots of opportunity and encouragement to be creative.

Julia Rigby

Julia is a freelance artist and designer living in Hertfordshire with her husband and three children. Her colourful and often humorous designs feature on greetings cards, puzzles, homewares and of course cross stitch kits. She works primarily in watercolour, gouache and ink when designing and always has plenty of ideas on the go. “A lot of my inspiration comes from my children and the funny things that they do and like them, I can be quite impatient and tend to work quickly. I think this keeps my designs simple and free flowing with an emphasis on movement and expression. I hope that my designs make people smile – they certainly make me smile when I am creating them!” Julia is self-taught and has always loved painting and drawing. “Working with Kate at Bothy is great fun and I am always very excited to see the finished work all stitched up”.

Karen Tye Bentley

After leaving university I worked for a multinational ceramic company as Designer then Group Design Manager for 17 years, but when my first daughter came along I took the plunge into the world of freelancing to give myself a better work/life balance. I now concentrate mainly on the greetings market whilst having the freedom to design for different products, bouncing ideas from one to another. I enjoy working to customer specific briefs, but relish the times when I can work on speculative designs and have a play with new ideas. I live in Staffordshire England, with my Husband, two daughters and our black Labrador.

Kate Garrett

I have always been a bit arty and was endlessly drawing as a child, but never dreamt that it would end up being my career. I didn’t study art or design after school, instead deciding to go for the sensible option of a degree in Biological Sciences. I ended up teaching Biology at Secondary Level (my pupils were always complaining that we had to do far too many drawings), and this working life continued until the birth of my daughter in 2006. At last, I didn’t feel I had to ‘go to work’ any more, instead staying at home with my daughter, who was followed by a little boy two years later. Rather than fritter away my time doing useful things like housework, I started painting name pictures for children, illustrated with fairies and little animals. This gradually blossomed and grew into my own business, ‘Baby Name Pictures’, which takes up most of my time. I now paint a huge range of designs, illustrated in ink and watercolour, and have expanded to illustrate cards, books and even tea towels!

Kate Mawdsley

I was brought up in northwest England and moved to London to study art at Middlesex University. My career initially began in textile design, creating floral patterns for many major high street stores such as Top Shop, Dorothy Perkins and Debenhams. I began as an illustrator, by accident rather than design, when Boots licensed some of my floral designs for use on gift-wrap. After a couple of years, I found that I had moved out of the fashion industry and become a full-time illustrator, mostly for greetings cards and wrap. I really enjoyed the freedom of working on a much wider subject matter, I still do floral designs from time to time but now I am probably best known for cat, dog and Christmas images. I originally had two dogs, Rosie a fox terrier and Florence a cocker spaniel, which frequently appeared in my work, they were really quite famous! I now have a black cat called Rudolph who just arrived at our door one Christmas eve and moved in, he also features in my work. I now live in rural Suffolk where I can work from my studio at home and look out onto beautiful views over the countryside.

Kim Anderson

Since graduating in Textile and Surface design, Kim has created an extensive portfolio of artwork for a variety of greetings card publishers in the UK, Europe and the United States. Based in her home town of Brighton, where her work is exhibited in local art galleries, Kim has built up a reputation which extends well beyond this inspirational and creative seaside resort. Kim’s greetings card ranges have been in the prestigious finals of the Henries Awards, the highest accolade for design talent within the UK card industry. She is recognised for her use of paint, pen, ink and paper collage work which have contributed to some beautiful ranges including, Crème & Noir, Papillon and Mimi. Her commercial success has naturally followed on from her inspirational artwork and led to several collaborations with high profile companies. Kim gets inspiration from the colours and textures in everyday life. This might include vintage objects, contemporary art, interior design or simply creative images from magazines. There are artists that have also inspired Kim including Picasso, Elizabeth Blackadder and The Bloomsbury Group. Sometimes just walking around an art gallery can provide the spark which is enough to start the creative process.

LS Lowry (1887-1976)

Taking inspiration from industrial Northern England where he lived, most of his work is of urban scenes. The stylised figures in his paintings are often referred to as ‘matchstick men’. His mother was dominating and prone to depression. Lowry had to look after her after his father’s death. He was appointed an official war artist and official artist at the coronation of Elizabeth II. He was a private man who never married. After his death a series of pornographic works were found.

Laura Ann

Laura Ann’s home is the Lake District where she lives with her two cats Bo and Ted. She graduated from the University of Cumbria in 2013 with a BA in contemporary applied arts. She specialised in textiles and print. Laura Ann produces her designs by using paper cut and collage techniques and uses vector tools on Photoshop to manipulate them. Her inspiration comes from Spirograph, paper cutting and nature. Her favourite artists are Linda-Marie Young and Betty Pepper.

Lesley Teare

I have lived in Suffolk for 20 years and now have a large black Labrador for company to go for long walks with in the beautiful countryside. I like to spend my time walking or gardening as this is a favourite hobby of mine and with a large plot to tend it is just as well. London or Cambridge are cities I visit as often as I can and I love to travel. I have a degree in Printed and Woven Textiles and as well as teaching art I have worked as a freelance designer for many years for the retail trade and card companies. For the past twenty years I have concentrated on designs for the needlework market but I now work mainly for the cross-stitch market, providing designs and charts for most of the needlework magazines. I have written four books for David and Charles: 101 Weekend Cross Stitch Gifts, Travel the World in Cross Stitch, Oriental Cross Stitch and Fantasy Cross Stitch as well as contributing to ten more.

Madeleine Floyd

Born in 1969, Madeleine studied Fine Art and Illustration at Camberwell College of Art, London, and has achieved great success in both fields. Her illustrations, watercolours and paintings are well known and have been published and collected around the world. She works from her studio in London and has become one of Britain’s best loved artists. Madeleine studied at the Courtauld Institute of Art and the Prince of Wales Drawing studio and her illustrations are informed by a strong draughtsmanship that captures the essence and emotion of her subject with a touch of whimsical humour. Madeleine writes and illustrates her own books such as the children’s classic ‘Captain’s Purr’ and her recent books ‘Birdsong’ and the follow up ‘Chickens, Ducks and Geese’ published by Anova Publishing have since become international best sellers. Her work has been widely commissioned by many including the National Trust, Cliveden and Highgrove and she has built a fast-growing timeless brand with a widening range of products which license her fine artwork onto bone china, textiles, homeware, tin ware, gift wrap, greeting cards, calendars and stationary.

Margaret Sherry

Margaret Sherry has a huge international following. Her artwork is licenced onto product ranging from greetings cards, stationery, rubber stamps, stickers, fridge magnets and mugs. Latterly all work has been published in USA for the world market. Although not a stitcher Margaret understands the joy of stitching which helps the inspirational process. Humour, expression and emotion are intrinsic ingredients of all her characters. She has created cats, dogs, mice, hedgehogs, elephants, snails and all manner of entertaining animal life which have been charted for stitching for over 20 years. After university she produced illustration for many children’s books, advertising, greetings cards and magazines. When asked how success is achieved in such a difficult area, Margaret believes in persistent enthusiasm along with the love of relentless hard work! Also, the ability to draw whatever you are asked to produce is essential and in double quick time! Margaret is thrilled to be a part of Bothy Threads and hopes that you love the latest designs created exclusively for Kate. The kits are unique, fresh and completely different but have all the much-loved characters which everyone wants to stitch.

Moira Blackburn

Moira has a background in graphic design. Inspired by old samplers, she developed range of historical kits worked in traditional colours on a parchment coloured Aida. She has recently retired to live with her family, ducks and dogs and Bothy Threads is delighted to be representing her.

Nicola Mason

Nicola joined the art studio at W.N. Sharpe/Hallmark as a junior trainee greeting card illustrator, at the age of 16, having just left school. She progressed from designing to managing a team of freelance illustrators for the same company. After 15 years in the greeting card industry she decided to become a freelance artist herself, expanding her artistic flair into other areas. She works mainly in watercolour and her recent work has been inspired by her experiences as a Mum to two daughters, capturing those memorable moments.

Pete Smith

Pete and Marianne Smith run Picturemaps, a small business which has produced work for customers from Madame Tussauds to Harrods, from Jorvik to Shakespeare’s Globe. Generally, Pete does the illustrations and Marianne turns them into a living, but it’s actually more complicated than that! Recent projects include ranges of goods for English Heritage and designs for decorative and informative mugs for McLaggan Smith. They both loved the idea of adapting some of their designs into cross-stitch kits for Bothy Threads.

Rachel Ellen Designs

Rachel Ellen Designs is a very young at heart greeting card, stationery and gift design and manufacturing company based in the Sherwood area of Nottingham. Rachel who was previously a professional ballet dancer, started the company while hand painting cards at her kitchen table in her London apartment. Nearly two decades later Rachel Ellen Designs have become an instantly recognisable brand with a distinctive range of bright and colourful products aimed primarily at children. From small beginnings the company now employs 26 staff at their base in a Victorian print works near Rachel’s home City. Today Rachel Ellen products are sold throughout the UK in a select number of High Street multiples, small chains, department stores and independent retailers as well as throughout the world in over 25 countries with particular success in Japan. This multi award winning company also boasts some incredibly successful licensing partnerships which incorporates products such as party ware, gift packaging, calendars, balloons, children’s gifts and craft kits.

Rebecca Dennison

I’m a constant doodler – ever since I can remember I have been drawing and I never stop – at home, in the office, on the train if I haven’t got a pen in my hand I’m thinking about the next drawing! I am also known as ‘the little wolf illustration’ I have a Facebook page where I can share my work and thoughts! I reside in East Yorkshire where I have exhibited locally, I am always on the lookout for local art projects to be involved in and consequently my work has adorned shop windows and street furniture! I like to take inspiration from nature in an urban environment. I am always excited when I see a fox on the street, a hedgehog scurrying by or a rabbit on the roundabout, I like to create pictures that tell a story or hold a memory that’s very important to me. I am very privileged to be a Bothy Threads contributor I hope you enjoy my work.

Rosanna Rossi

Rosanna Rossi are a successful design-led greeting cards company. Based in the UK, they are led by a creative mother and daughter, Filippa Whitford and Anna Nelson, both designing their cards. Their contemporary illustrations have a sophisticated mix of pattern and striking colour. Set up in 2009, the company has attracted a great deal of interest, including most recently when Anna was a finalist in the Most Promising Young Designer category at the Henries in 2014.

Rosina Wachtmeister

Gabila and Caterina are two step-sisters. They were born 21 years apart and couldn’t be more different. Gabila is an artist, impulsive and passionate. She takes after her father, a famous painter, both physically and temperamentally. Caterina can’t really draw. She’s thoughtful and down-to-earth and she looks like her father. Both daughters share the same love for their mother, Rosina. They dream of making her work known everywhere and we recently started working together to make it happen. They work closely with their business partners and give them all the backing they need to ensure excellent results.

Sally Swannel

Having trained originally as a natural history illustrator, Sally is an established and successful artist designer who has been producing beautifully presented images in her striking style for well over 10 years. She works mainly in emulsions and her work is influenced by English country/heritage, New England and northern European subjects. Her work has been commissioned in the UK, Europe and the USA for greetings cards, advent calendars, gift wrap, social stationery and home textiles and is now producing her own branded range of products.

Simon Abbott

Artist and designer Simon Abbott has been illustrating children’s products for over 15 years. He specialises in bright colours and delightful characters of all kinds and describes his work as fun, fresh and happy. His easy style has instant appeal and helps to communicate ideas and concepts in an instant. Whether he is drawing alphabets, astronauts, monsters or monkeys swinging through trees, his art is always engaging and is guaranteed to make children smile. Simon lives and works in Suffolk, with his partner Sally, and three boys called Jack, Nathan and Alfie.

Susan Wheeler

When I was a little girl, my mum bought me three felt tip pens which were a totally new concept (well, it was the sixties) and from then on, I have never stopped drawing and painting!! After finishing school, I went straight to art college in Stockport to study surface pattern design for a total of five years and upon completion went to work in the Potteries as a designer for the earthenware division of Wedgwood, which I loved. After travelling each day from Stockport to Stoke for six years I decided that I had had enough of the trains and made the decision to start my own business, providing designs for all manner of products, bedding, wallpaper, tableware and dress fabrics (basically anything with a pattern on). The rest as they say is history! I love colour and pattern, the more intricate the better! I also love producing designs for children and adding a touch of humour to them.

Suzy Taylor

Art has always been a driving force for me from growing up in Stanmore and through school where I studied art to my A levels. I then attended Warwick University, where I studied Comparative American Studies (the history, politics and literature of North and Latin America), which led to my appreciation of folk art. In 2007, I began experimenting with papercutting, beginning with a simple outline but before long I became adept at creating intricate designs. It became obvious to me very quickly that papercutting my folk art was the perfect marriage of style with medium. I love the freedom of folk art and in keeping with that tradition, my work usually reflects themes of nature and rural life, so you’ll see lots of birds, animals, flowers and cross-sections through houses. All my designs are hand-drawn with meticulous attention to detail. They are then entirely hand cut with a craft knife from a single piece of paper – no lasers involved!

Thelwell

Thelwell is regarded as the unofficial artist of the British countryside and is possibly the most popular cartoonist in Britain, since the Second World War. He commented on many aspects of human behaviour, but he is perhaps most synonymous with little girls and their little fat ponies. They have helped to ensure his continuing popularity and his immortality.

William Morris (1834-1896)

Born in London and educated at Oxford, he became an apprentice to a Gothic revival architect. Together with Rossetti and Burne-Jones, he founded a design company which influenced the decoration of homes and churches in the early 20th century. Morris textile and wallpaper designs are mainly based on repeating patterns derived from nature. He was also a writer and a socialist who supported the use of traditional techniques and founded the Kelmscott press.